"Goten-ojichan, where are you going?" Pan asked as she saw her uncle combing
his hair in his room. He was already looking good that day, anyway.
Pan stepped inside and sat on the bed, watching him smooth his hair down.
Goten grinned and turned around. "Well? How do I look?"
"The same."
He was silent for a moment. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to say that."
"Oh, okay. I get it." Pan stood up and cleared her throat. "OH, GOTEN-OJISAN!
YOU LOOK SOOOOOO CUTE, SOOOOOO HANDSOME, SOOOOOO COOL?YOU KNOW, IF I WASN'T
YOUR NIECE, I'D FALL HELPLESSLY IN LOVE WITH YOU! So, where are you
going?"
"That's better!" Goten laughed. "Anyway, for your information, I'm going
out with?"
"Paris," Pan finished.
"Well…not exactly."
Pan's eyebrows rose. "Why not? I thought you guys…Oh. Whoops."
Goten nodded. "We broke up," he said flatly, surprised when it didn't hurt
as much as he'd thought it was going to.
"Since when?" Pan asked.
"Last week."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Pan felt guilty for having bringing up the name.
She tried to change the subject. "Well, tell me who the new girl is," she
said, looking up at her uncle and smiling.
"Oh. Well, she's…"
Just then, Gohan came by and knocked on the door. "Pan? Your mother
needs you in the kitchen," he said.
Pan nodded and hurried for the door. "Yes, Otousan," she said obediently,
but before she left, she looked back at Goten, a smile on her face. "Ojisan,
whoever the new girl is, she's very, very lucky." She waved and raced downstairs
past her father, who was still standing by the door.
"Oh-ho! Going out on a date, huh?" Gohan teased.
"Yep!" Gohan turned and looked back in the mirror. He brushed at
an imaginary speck of dust and turned tohis brother. "How do I look?"
Gohan shrugged. "Well…exactly the same."
"Oh, come on! Pan just told me that. I know you can do better
than that?I've heard you compliment Videl!"
"What do you want? Me to drool over you, saying, 'Oh, Goten, you're
just so gorgeous'?"
Goten thought it over. "That would help my self-confidence," he said.
"Get real." Gohan frowned. "You're going out with a new girl?"
"Well…yeah, but she isn't just ANY girl, you know."
"Oh? Well, then, what's so special about her?" Gohan folded his arms
and leaned against the doorframe.
"Um…well, she's pretty…fun…rich…um…young," he mumbled.
"How young?"
"Uh…way young?"
"A high school girl?" Gohan laughed, expecting Goten to laugh with him.
He nodded.
"WHAT? A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL? Are you SICK?" Gohan yelled.
"No! I?she?it's Trunks' little sister, okay?"
"Oh, okay, then." Gohan turned around and started to leave, then suddenly
jerked back around."NANI??????????"
Goten grabbed his brother and pulled him into the room, slamming the door
behind him. "Come on, Gohan! Shh!" Goten exclaimed, gritting his
teeth.
"But Goten, she?she's?okay, let go of me." Gohan wrenched out of Goten's
grip. "Let me get this straight. You're going on a date with Trunks'
SISTER?"
"Oniisan, this is not a DATE. It's just…friends. Hanging out.
What do you have against that? And BESIDES, she's the one who asked
me out first."
"Oh, well, that makes EVERYTHING just FINE," Gohan muttered. "Just…promise
me that you'll be careful, huh?"
"Be careful of what?" Goten asked suspiciously.
"Nothing! Everything! Vegeta! Unwanted pregnancy?"
Goten turned bright red. "Okay, stop that! We're just going SHOPPING,
that's ALL!"
"All right, all right, sorry." Gohan exhaled loudly. "Well, if this is
so okay, you wouldn't mind taking Pan, huh? I mean, she's been spending
so much time in the house…she needs to spend more time with her friends."
Gohan paused. "Uh, well, I AM going out with her best friend, so, uh, s?sure.
Why not?"
"Good! I'll tell her right away." Gohan gave his brother a pat on the back.
"Have fun, okay?" Gohan grinned again and stepped out. He gave his
brother one last glance before shutting the door behind him. "Just…be
careful, okay?"

"Niichan! How do I look? HOW DO I LOOK?" Bra demanded.
"For the seven millionth time, you look FINE! Now GET OUT!" Trunks
yelled.
"But Oniichan…"
"Bra! I am TRYING to conduct BUSINESS!" he yelled, giving her the
evil eye. Bra shuddered and walked out quickly. She looked
up at the clock as she left. One hour? How had the time gone
so fast? She had to meet Goten in ONE HOUR! All the nervousness
came back to her in one huge rush. What would they talk about?
What would she say? What would he say? She'd never been out,
alone, with him!
Is this my chance? Today? No, probably not. She'll just
have fun today, walk around the mall, and maybe go to the fair later.
Forget about any confessions. If she wants to, she can do it later.
During the Sakura viewing, maybe. Yeah, that'd be best. The
circumstances would help and the romantic view and falling cherry blossoms
couldn't hurt…
"Bra?"
She blinked and turned to her mother. "Yes, Kaasan?"
"Phone for you. I think it's Marron-chan."
"Thanks." Bra ran downstairs and picked up the phone. "MARRON I NEED YOU!"
"Yes. Hello. May I speak with Bra-chan please?"
"Marron…"
"Okay, okay, sorry . I was just calling to see how you were doing."
"I'm so nervous!"
"I picked up on that."
"I'm serious! I need you now!"
"What for?" Marron asked.
"To?to?to tell me how I look."
Marron rolled her eyes. "Bra. I'm at the Kame House right now, which
is miles and miles away from yours and I'm helping my mom get ready for
the Sakura viewing tomorrow and now you're asking me to just drop everything
and run over to your house and tell you that you look good?"
"Yes."
"Goodbye."
"NO! Wait, wait! Okay, I'm sorry. Really." Bra sighed.
"I'm just so scared. I mean…"
"I understand," Marron said after Bra stopped. "You're going to tell him
today, right?"
"Nope."
"Nope?"
"Yep."
"Excuse me?"
"I'll tell him tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? But tomorrow…" Marron paused. "Oh…I see…yes…good timing."
Bra giggled. "I guess I'm ready for it though…"
"Ready for what?"
"The rejection, of course," Bra said.
"Bra…think more positively…"
"Marron, I gotta go…I have to…fix my hair again," Bra lied. "I'll see
you tomorrow, okay? Bye."
"Hey?"
Bra quickly hung up the phone
Marron sighed and put down her receiver. She looked out her window.
"Ganbatte (good luck) Bra."

***********************************
It was almost lunchtime. Bra sat in the cafeteria alone next to the
large window. She could see people passing by. She glanced
at her watch every minute and examined every person that passed.
She felt like she was getting ready to go on a date. But she wasn't.
"Why are you scared, Bra? You're just going shopping with him…and
you've done that a hundred times…baka," she cursed herself under her breath.
She glanced at her Baby-G watch again and sighed. He was ten minutes
late. But he was late for everything. She tapped the table
with her fingers, waiting.
And finally…
"B-chan!"
Bra stood up and smiled. "Hi, Goten! Thanks for coming…" Then her
smile froze. "PAN?"